Alex Cross, Run

Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties", bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun. Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail. But Alex doesn't have time to dwell on that case. A beautiful woman has been found murdered in her car, a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach....

The story moved along at a good pace, but I felt as though Patterson thought the more plots, sub plots and another plot he could shove into one story the better it would be. There is no thought process, just a typical crime - good guy get the bad guy. This is about as basic as you can get and proof that money means more than a well written book and that James will continue to crank these out like eggs in a chicken factory. It will be a long while before I buy another Patterson book.

Gone Tomorrow: A Jack Reacher Novel

In a novel that slams through one hairpin surprise after another, Lee Child unleashes a thriller that spans three decades and gnaws at the heart of America...and for Jack Reacher, a man who trusts no one and likes it that way, it's a mystery with only one answer the kind that comes when you finally get face-to-face and look your worst enemy in the eye.

The Martian

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"

Tripwire: Jack Reacher, Book 3

Reacher's anonymity in Florida is shattered by an investigator who's come looking for him. But hours after his arrival, the stranger is murdered. Retracing the PI's trail back to New York, Reacher's compelled to find out who was looking for him and why. He never expected the reasons to be so personal - and twisted.

Would you consider the audio edition of Tripwire to be better than the print version?

I did not read the printed version - that's so 1990

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tripwire?

The story was a constant build up - it was a fun ride all the way!

What does Jonathan McClain bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I must say Dick Hill is still my favorite, but Jonathan did a good job. There were a couple of small instances where the book would move into another chapter and it took a moment to figure that out sometimes - he changed without warning. It did not affect the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I listened so long I had to use the bathroom at one point. Does moving to the bathroom count?

Any additional comments?

In all seriousness - I like the Jack Reacher books and it has been awhile since I actually enjoyed one all the way through. I was about to give up on him. First 5 star book for me in a long while

Personal: A Jack Reacher Novel, Book 19

"You can leave the army, but the army doesn’t leave you. Not always. Not completely," notes Jack Reacher - and sure enough, the retired military cop is soon pulled back into service. This time, for the State Department and the CIA. Someone has taken a shot at the president of France in the City of Light. The bullet was American. The distance between the gunman and the target was exceptional. How many snipers can shoot from three-quarters of a mile with total confidence? Very few, but John Kott - an American marksman gone bad - is one of them...

The story was so dragged out that the whole book could have taken only half of the chapters. The discussion of such minor details made this book the equivalent of watching paint dry.

What could Lee Child have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I think he wrote this just to write a book. Betting that the name alone would sell the book and not worry about content. Makes me made when authors do this (James Patterson is another one that is guilty of this also)

Would you be willing to try another one of Dick Hill’s performances?

Dick Hill is great - He could read the dictionary and make it sound good. Not his problem it was such a bad story.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Moments when the story actually moved along it was good - the dozen or so chapters of nothing really sucked.

Any additional comments?

I won't give up Lee Child yet - you don't hit home runs every chance at bat. I'm all about second chances.

Mean Streak

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her. While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name.

Mr. Mercedes: A Novel

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes. Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

Joyland

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. Joyland is a brand-new novel and has never previously been published.

Where does Joyland rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So far, all of the Stephen King books rank in the top five. The narration is what makes these books come alive.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot moved right along. I would not call it an "edge of the seat" listen, but there were enough things going on to keep it interesting.

Which scene was your favorite?

Well rounded book - it all worked for me

If you could rename Joyland, what would you call it?

The story is about and amusement park - the name is as good as any.

Any additional comments?

I had this book on my wish list for a long time. I was worried by the description that this story would not be for me. I should have known that I have not listened to a bad King book yet. There are a couple of overlapping ideas from other books that pop up in this story, but it all works. 7hrs is not as long as most King books, but it was worth the listen.

The Chase: Fox and O'Hare, Book 2

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O'Hare. Together they'll go undercover to swindle and catch the world's most wanted - and untouchable - criminals. Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency.

The Innocent: A Novel

Will Robie may have just made the first - and last - mistake of his career.... It begins with a hit gone wrong. Robie is dispatched to eliminate a target unusually close to home in Washington, D.C. But something about this mission doesn't seem right to Robie, and he does the unthinkable: He refuses to kill. Now, Robie becomes a target himself and must escape from his own people.

Fleeing the scene, Robie crosses paths with a wayward teenage girl, a 14-year-old runaway from a foster home. But she isn't an ordinary runaway....

What did you like best about The Innocent: A Novel? What did you like least?

The narration by Ron and Orlagh made the book

Would you be willing to try another book from David Baldacci? Why or why not?

Sure - just disappointed in this one

Did Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

If it was not for them, this book would have been a snoozer

Could you see The Innocent: A Novel being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Not really - nothing new here

Any additional comments?

The book took a long time getting to the point. You were never able to figure anything out which made the story even more frustrating. Everything gets summed up in the last chapter. What is supposed to be a big cliff hanger just makes you glad to be done with the book. It started off well, died in the middle and then quickly summed up in the end.

Inferno: A Novel

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces: Dante’s Inferno. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust...before the world is irrevocably altered.

This book is 90% history lesson, 5% running in circles and 5% story. One review had said it perfectly - Dan went through a lot of trouble to describe everything to the last detail! I like the history, but not to much where it takes over the book. He wrote a book just to write a book

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